Clothesline cleaner



Oct. 24, 1933. E. s. BECKER CLOTHESLINE CLEANER Original Filed June 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EEEL SEJEUKER- ATTORNEY.

@ct. 24, 1933. E. s. BECKER CLOTHESLINE CLEANER Original Filed June 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

EEEL 5. Emma.

ATTORNE Patented Oct. 24, 1933 sra , CLOTHESLINE CLEANER Earl Stewart Becker, Schenectady, N. Y.

Refiled for application Serial No. 373,982, June I 27, 1929. This application November 19, 1932.

Serial No. 643,410

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-246) This invention relates to cleaning or wiping devices for clotheslines, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide anew and improved device of that character which is efficient in operation and which may be readily applied to the bracket employed for supporting the pulley of an endless clothesline, the present application being a substitute of applicants application Serial Number 373,982, for Clothesline cleaners, filed June 27th, 1929.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning and wiping attachment combined with means for locking one of the clothesline supports, whereby the clothesline may be held against such endwise movement as might take place due to air pressure exerted against the clothes when hung on the line, thereby preventing the clothes from being carried between the line and the pulley and the clothes thereby damaged.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred form of embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a top'plan view of the device as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bracket which forms the supporting element for the movable parts of the device; H

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a detail of construction, and V Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Before proceeding with the description of this preferred embodiment of my invention, it may be here noted that my device belongs to that class of devices employed for wiping or cleaning clotheslines, particularly Where the clothesline is not accessible from the ground or from the platform upon which the laundress stands while hanging out the clothes. It is primarily designed for use where an endless clothesline is suspended between the sill of a window elevated above the ground and a'distant fixed support, the clothesthe aforesaid fixed supports.

Referring now to the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes a portion of an endless clothesline which is looped over pulleys, one of which is shown at 2, the latter being journaled at 3 in a bracket 4, said bracket being the usual U shaped yoke 5, adapted to be supported by the hook 6 attached to the fixed support 7. The other pulley, similar to the one 2, is not shown in the drawings, but it will be understood that such a line running over pulleys mounted upon each of pulley is mounted upon a fixed support, remote from the support 7, the latter usually being the sill or frame of the window from which the clothes are hung on the line 1. The bracket 4 and the yoke 5 are of the usualconstruction.

Referring now to Figure 4 of the drawings, this view shows the supporting bracket for my device, the same comprising a strip of metal bent at right angles'at the point 8 to form the plates 9 and 8. Plate 8 is provided with the flanges 11 and 12, and the flange 11 is in turn provided with a downwardly extending flange 13, forming the groove 14. Plate 10 is positioned adjacent one of the legs 15of the yoke 5, the upper edge of said yoke fitting-into the groove 14.

'The reference numeral 16 shown in Figure 5 denotes a clip so flanged as to provide a groove 1'7, in which is received the lower edge of the leg 15 ofthe yoke 5. The flange 12 is provided with a threaded aperture 18 adapted to receive the clamp screw 19, the latter engaging the clip 16,

whereby when said screw is tightened,the bracket comprising the plates 9'and 10 is firmly and detachably mounted upon the supporting brackets! of the pulley 2, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings. 7

The support for the cleaner or wiper is preferably composed of a length of spring Wire bent to the form shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outer ends of the wire being bent to form the rectangularly shaped clamping members 20 and 21, faced toward each other, the intermediate portion of said' spring wire being formed into a coil 22, which is adapted to be detachably supported upon the hook 23, formed on the plate 10. The legs 24 and 25 of the Wiper support approach the wiper clamps 20 and 21 at the point 25 and extend through a ring 26. This ring rides upon a right-angularly disposedpart 27 of the leg 24 of the wiper support when the wiper clamps 20 and 21 are separated by pressing together thelegs 24 and 25 of the wiper support against the tension of the spring coil 22,

opposed relation. Each of the rectangularly formed frames 20 and 21 which comprise the wiper clamps is provided with the cross wires 28,

which engage with the cloth employed to wipe or clean the line. One of the wiper clamps at its forward edge is provided with a spring wire 29 over which the wiper cloth 30 is adapted to pass in the vicinity of its fold.

The wiper or cleaner 30 preferably comprises a a strip formed of several thicknesses of cloth, said strip being folded to form the loop 31 encircling the clothesline, the side of said strip lying in engagement between the clamping members 20 and 21 of the wiper, the construction being such that when the clamping members are separated as by pressing together the legs 24 and 25, either of the free edges 32 or 33 may be pulled outwardly whereby a fresh surface of the wiper or cleaner will be carried into engagement with the clothesline. The clamping members 20 and 21 are, of course, at all times urged toward each other by the coil 22, and it will be seen that the cleaning device may be removed as a whole by separating the clamping members 20 in the manner above described and by removing the loop or coil 22 of the wire from the hook 23.

- Referring now to the locking device for the pulley 2, the reference numeral 34 denotes a plate having the spaced legs 35 and 36, which are adapted to straddle any one of the spokes 37 of the pulley 2, when the plate is in the position shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. The rear end of this plate has extended therethrough a headed pin 38 which rides in the elongated slot 39 provided in the plate 9 of the supporting bracket. Thus the rear end of the plate 34 is guided by the engagement between the pin 38 and the walls of the slot 39. The legs 35 and 36 of the plate straddle the leg 15 of the yoke. Thus the plate 34 is guided so that it will move in a straight line when it is moved into or out of the path of one of the spokes 37 of the pulley 2.

The reference numeral 40 denotes the operating lever of the locking device, said lever being pivotally mounted as by means of the pin 41 in an aperture 42 formed in a downward extension 43 of the plate 9 of the supporting bracket, the upper end .of the lever 40 being provided with a slot 44 which receives the pin 38. Thus it will be seen that the locking member comprising the plate 34 and the spaced legs 35 be reciprocated into or out of an operative position. The lever 40 has connected thereto at 45 a retractile spring 46, the other end of the spring being connected with a support 47 mounted upon the plate 9 of the main bracket, the disposition of said being such that the operating le or it will be held upon either side of a dead center position. 7

. Having thus described the construction of my improved device, the operation thereof should be obvious without further description.

It will be noted that the locking device and the cleaning device are detachably connected and that the. latter may be removed without afiecting the whereby the wiper clamps are at all times held in operation of the former. Moreover, the cleaning device is so constructed that a fresh cleaning surface may be readily supplied forthe clothesline and that a new cleaning cloth may be readily substituted for one that has become soiled.

The locking device also insures against such endwise movement of the clothesline about its supporting pulleys as might cause damage to the clothes hung on the line.

It will accordingly be seen that I have provided a device adapted to attain, among others, all of the ends and objects above pointed out in a very simple manner. Moreover, the device is so constructed that it may be applied to clothesline supports of this type now in general use, and inasmuch as the parts aside from the pivots and screws employed are stampings, the said device can be manufactured at a very low cost.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the class described, in combi nation, a pulley adapted to support one of the loops of an endless clo hesline, a yoke in which said pulley is rotatively mounted, said yoke being mounted upon xed support, a Wiping device support-ed upon said yoke, Wiping device com- -sing a leng of spring Wire bent into U shaped theleg hereof being spring pressed toward each the wire forming the ends of said legs cing bent to fci opposed cloth wiper holders, wiper comprising a strip of cloth folded between hOld"lm, fold of 'said'cloth forming a loop and aspring member mounted upon one of said clamping members extending through the loop of said fold.

2. In a device of the class desc ibed in combination, a combined pulley lock and clothesline wiper comprising a bracket adapted to be mounted upon the pulley which supports one of he loops ofan endless clothesline, said pulley having a yoke in which it is rotatively mounted, and said yoke being mounted upon a fixed support, a wiping device comprising a length of spring wire bent into U shaped form and having an-interrnediate loop, the ends of s id spring wire being bent to form a pair of opposed rectangularly shaped clamping members which are pressed toward each other by the coil of the spring, a wiper comprising a laminated strip of cloth i'olded between said clamping members, a fold or" said cloth forming a loop, a spring member mounted upon one or said clamping members-extending through the loop of said fold, and a extending from said bracket about whichthe eye of said coil is positioned so that the wiper may be detachably mounted upon said bracket.

EARL STEWART BECKER. 

